


Just Friends

by decadent_mousse



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Mutual Pining tbh, Pining, Pining in multiple directions, Underage Drinking, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 19:38:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5598313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decadent_mousse/pseuds/decadent_mousse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh throws a party, and Chris gets a little carried away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline-wise in this fic, Chris is 16 and Josh is 17.

There was a party at the Washington household.  Josh's parents were out of town on business -- or, at least, his dad was out of town on business and his mom had decided to tag along.  It had been the  prime setting for a party.  It hadn’t been planned, at least not extensively, but Josh knew enough people who knew enough people and by seven the house was  _ packed _ .

He’d broke out his dad’s impressive collection of booze to give everyone a good selection.  He hadn’t stopped to think at the time of how he was going to explain that much alcohol disappearing in one night, but he’d think of something -- later.  

“Bro, this party is wild.”

Chris was standing in the corner of the kitchen, away from the bulk of the horde, but he looked like he was having a good time.  

“Yeah, I didn’t expect Mike and Emily to invite the entire school along, but it’s all good.”

“Your parents are going to  _ kill  _ you.”

“Only if they find out, Cochise.”

He’d already been grabbing a beer out of the fridge for himself.  It was a simple matter to adjust that plan to grab two instead.  He popped the caps off with the magnetic  bottle-opener his dad kept stuck on the fridge and extended one to Chris.

He hesitated only for second before he reached out and took it from him with a smile.  He took a tentative sip, made a face, then drank a little more. 

Josh mingled and drank and ate snacks here and there.  He lost track of Chris in the crowd for awhile.  At one point he’d spotted him talking to Ashley near the fireplace.  When he’d glanced his way, Josh had given him two thumbs up and a wink.  He’d turned bright red and taken a sudden interest in Josh’s mom’s mantle decorations.  The guy was hopeless.

Eventually the party reached the stage where people started slowly trickling out the front door and the crowd dwindled until there were only a handful of the usual suspects left hanging out in the living room.  When it came time for the rest of them to start heading out, they collectively migrated to the front door.

“Great party, Josh,” Mike said, arm draped around Emily’s shoulder.  “See you guys tomorrow!”

Chris, who was standing at Josh’s side at the foot of the stairs, wobbled as he waved goodbye enthusiastically.

Josh side-eyed him.  “You okay?”

“Yeah!  Yeah.  I’m good.  I’m great!”

“Where’s Ashley?”

“She left already.  Had homework to do or something.”

“Well, that sucks.  I was hoping the two of you would get a room upstairs.”

Chris blushed.  “Nah.  I don’t-- it’s not like that, man.  Ashley doesn’t like me like that.  We’re just friends.”

He groaned internally and wondered how his best friend could be so oblivious.  It was like he didn’t even realize how cute he was.  Josh had it on good authority that Ash wasn’t even the only person at school that had a crush on him.  It had to be some weird kind of ugly duckling syndrome, but that didn’t even make any sense -- Chris had never been anything other than adorable in his entire life, even if he  _ was _ a huge nerd.

He just didn’t get it.  It was almost painful to watch him completely fail to notice Ashley’s attempts at flirting on a daily basis.  It’s not like she was going to wait forever for him to finally get a clue.  

“I should get going,” Chris said, voice slurring a bit.  “It’s late, my mom’s gonna be pissed.”

He side-eyed him.  It  _ was _ late and Chris’ mom was a notorious mother hen.  Knowing her, she was probably already freaking out about the time.  Chris would be in even deeper shit if he showed up back home drunk off his ass.  That, and it probably wasn’t a great idea for him to walk home in the middle of the night when he couldn’t even walk straight.  

“Stay the night.”   


“Yeah?”   


“Yeah.”

He fumbled for his pocket and pulled out his phone.  “I need to call my mom and let her know.”

That was going to go over real well.  All the sleepovers in the world wouldn’t save Chris if he talked to her right now, sloshed as he was.  Josh plucked the phone from his hand.  “Let me do it.  I’m the better smooth-talker.”  He was also slightly less wasted, which would help a little.

Chris held up hands.  “Be my guest.”  He plopped his ass down hard on the bottom step of the stairs and leaned against the wall while Josh called his mom.

He gave her a very convincing story all about how he’d asked Chris to help him study for a test tomorrow and they’d lost track of time.  How his parents had asked him to stay for dinner and afterward he was tired of enough Josh had decided to just ask him to stay the night.  The fact that he and Chris had lots of sleepovers anyway worked in his favor.  Did he feel bad about lying?  A little bit, maybe -- but not much.  Telling the truth would’ve gotten Chris in a disproportionate amount of trouble and what his mom didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.  

“The deed is done,” Josh announced, handing Chris his phone back.  

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.  Literally never mention it.  Your mom would probably murder me.”

“Nah, she likes you too much.  She’d probably just give you a stern lecture and call your mom.”

“That’s even worse.”  Josh folded his arms across his chest.  "Alright, bro, time to get you to bed.  Think you can get up the stairs?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Chris asked, even as it took him several tries to get the sentence out coherently.  

He was also rolling around on his butt in a vain attempt to get up.  Bundled in no less than two sweaters, he looked a little bit like a distressed turtle. 

"Okay, you obviously have this under control, but just in case, how about I help you out?"

“Alright.”

He only managed to stand by inching up the wall his back was against like some kind of caterpillar.  It was hilarious to watch, and Josh had every intention of teasing him about it in the morning.  

He offered him his arm.  “Shall we, Christopher?”

Chris laughed and looped his arm through his.  

“Just take it slow, okay?”

And progress up the stairs was definitely slow.  Any time Chris wobbled, Josh stopped and made sure he wasn’t going to fall over.  Halfway up, he decided it was probably a good idea to put an arm around his waist.  He wasn’t sure if that made him less likely to fall or just more likely to take Josh down with him if he went.  He didn’t fall, in the end, but they had a couple close calls. 

He was  _ so _ drunk.  

Once they finally reached the top, they made a bee-line for his room.  When they got in, Chris immediately face-planted onto his bed with a groan.  

"Everything's spinnin' around." 

"You're okay.  You just overdid it a little."

That was an understatement.  He couldn't believe Chris had gotten  _ that _ drunk.  Then again, he'd been nervous about Ashley.  If he’d taken a drink every time he needed to calm his nerves, it’d go a long way towards explaining how he’d gotten so lit.

"Chris, I love you, but you are not sleeping in my bed with your shoes on."

He groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows.  He beamed up at him once he got upright -- like he was very proud of his achievement.  It was such dorky look, Josh couldn't help but laugh fondly.  When it became obvious fine motor functions were a little beyond him, he helped him out of his shoes.  Next came the sweaters, then his jeans -- which he felt a little weird about tugging off of him when he was barely conscious, but he wouldn’t wish a night of sleeping in jeans on anyone.

When they finally collapsed into bed together Chris smushed his face into the back of his shoulder.  “I love you, man,” he mumbled.  “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, bro.  Go to sleep before you start throwing up.”

He rubbed his face back and forth against Josh’s back.  The gesture would have been a lot cuter if his glasses weren’t digging between his shoulder blades.  He reached over his shoulder and plucked them off Chris’ face.  

“I can’t see.”

“You don’t need to see.   _ Sleep _ .”

Chris settled against his back with a huff and Josh’s eyelids slid shut drowsily.

“Josh.”

He sighed.  “What?”

“I think I’m drunk.”

“Oh, I  _ know _ you’re drunk.”

Josh’s blood alcohol content might not have been as high as Chris’, but now that they were in bed, he had that floaty, dizzy feeling that came with lying in a horizontal position while drunk and sleepy.  The alcohol was thrumming warmly in his veins, and Chris snuggling against him was making him even sleepier.  Sleep was definitely going to happen if Chris ever stopped talking. 

"'m cold."

"You won’t be when the hangover hits.”

"Oh no, who's gonna get a hangover?"

" _ You _ , bro."

Chris groaned loudly.  "I drank too much."

"Yep."

Things were quiet again for a minute, and then Chris nudged his leg with his knee.  "'m still cold.  Josh, help."

Josh sighed theatrically and rolled over.  "Okay, okay.  What would you do without me?"

"Ask Beth where the extra blankets are?"

He laughed and wrapped his arms around Chris shoulders.  "Ouch.  Am I that easy to replace?"

Chris buried his face in his chest.  "No."

"You should've told me you'd never drank before, I wouldn't have let you have so much.  You gotta build up a little tolerance."

"Wait, have  _ you _ drank before?"

"Oh, Christopher.  So young, so innocent."

"Dude, you're like six months older than me."  There was a pause.  "I can't feel my nose."

"It's still there, don't worry."

Said nose was currently mashed against his collarbone.  Chris shivered against him and burrowed deeper.  Not that he could get much further, short of burying himself in the space behind Josh's sternum -- which he already more or less occupied in spirit.

He pressed his face into Chris’ hair and breathed in a little deeper than was probably necessary.  Chris let out a soft sigh and wound his legs around Josh's beneath the sheets -- and fuck, his feet were cold, even through the socks.

"You're so warm.  's nice."   
  
Josh rubbed his back and pulled the sheets up a little higher and snugger around them both. He was a little worried Chris might start throwing up sooner rather than later.  Especially if he didn’t go the fuck to sleep soon.  Luckily, his eyes were closed and his breathing was starting to even out.  He was pretty sure if he kept gently rubbing him, he’d fall asleep.  Like a puppy.  

When had he gotten so cute?  Like legitimately handsome-cute, not just the chubby-cheeked dorky cute he’d been when they were growing up.  When had Josh apparently developed a  _ massive _ crush on him, for that matter?

In the morning, he was too busy dealing with Chris projectile vomiting all over his bedroom to give it much more thought.


End file.
